There were Shadows
by pastheart
Summary: The bomb that terrorized Gotham during Bane's liberation was disarmed by a PhD student, who has since graduated. The League of Shadows is not pleased. However, she has been found to be of importance to the League, and more importantly, to Bane.
1. Chapter 1

Lillian counted the steps from the grocery store to the corner. She knew what she was doing. She was trying to distract herself from seeing shadows at every turn. Since she had left Gotham after its "liberation" was over, she had found herself being overly paranoid and doing precisely that.

"Stop it. Just stop. There's no one there." Lillian allowed herself to count ten more steps before she quit counting and faced that there was no one in the shadows.

She continued to walk for several blocks before she realized that her paranoia this evening was not unfounded. She was, in fact, being followed. She didn't see them at first, but she caught sight of one of them under a street lamp and then once more while she was crossing the street.

She didn't know why she was being followed or why someone would follow her for so long, but she wasn't happy about it. She rearranged the paper grocery sack in her arms and headed into the nearest discount liquor and tobacco store. The place stunk.

She set the paper bag on the lottery stand and slipped off her backpack. As she rearranged the backpack to accommodate the groceries, she was thankful that the store had been out of reasonably priced eggs. She didn't care what health benefits they claimed to provide she was not paying $5 a dozen for eggs. She knew some of the customers were staring at her. She even overheard the cashier whisper in his thick Indian accent, "Survivor of Bane's occupied Gotham."

That's right. She was a survivor. She had gotten out of Gotham alive and relatively sane. She would survive this night as well. She zipped the backpack up, took a deep breath, and headed to the door.

At first, she thought that they had either given up on her once she had entered the store or she really was paranoid and no one had been following her to start with. She was wrong on both accounts. They had simply hidden and watched from the shadows. They were also much better at hiding once she emerged from the store.

When she noticed them again, she started to calculate. She could either go to her apartment which was five blocks to the East. This seemed like a terrible idea. Assuming that they had randomly seen her and didn't know who she was, she didn't want to lead them back to her domain. The only reasonable solution was to head to the police station that was four blocks to the West.

She made it another two blocks before they picked up their speed, and she broke into a sprint. She made it another block before one of them managed to catch up and grab her. She started kicking and elbowing. She was desperate to get free. The second man quickly caught up and injected her with something.

"I have a doctorate in nuclear and theoretical physics, a masters in general physics, and a double major undergraduate in physics and biomedical engineering." She had woken up on a warehouse floor. It was cold and darkly lit. She stood up, and the room spun. When the world finally came into focus, she recognized several of these men from Gotham. These were men who had spoken hardly a word but had created a living hell. Tonight the demons of hell had come to take her life, and the realization had caused her to blurt out her life's achievements.

"I don't recall asking." The tone of the man before her gave nothing away.

"I have an interview on Tuesday. If I am not going to make it, I want someone to know what I was going to say even though the chances are much higher that they'll find it impressive when it would have seemed rather mundane to the interviewer."

"You disarmed Gotham." The mechanical rasp came from a shadow in the corner of the room that Lillian had not previously seen.

"Batman saved Gotham." The news had covered it as such. Batman had finally come out of hiding in Gotham's final hour to save the day. The Dark Knight's return had inspired someone to disarm the trigger woman, the socialite Ms. Miranda Tate, and a few police had been instrumental in locating the correct vehicle, protecting Gotham from anyone else detonating the bomb.

"No, no." The man, Lillian recognized him as Bane, shook his head. "Don't lie. It doesn't become you. It is a sign of weakness."

"I am not lying. Batman saved Gotham."

He titled his head and laughed. There was no true joy in. Humor, but no joy. "You are but a child. Yet, you ruined our plan."

Lillian had a distinct feeling that she was being mocked. She didn't know why it mattered to her, but it mattered a great deal. If she was going to die here tonight in this cold building, then she would do so with dignity. "My name is Lillian."

Someone else laughed in the room. Their laughter wasn't as harsh as Bane's had been, but it lacked joy just the same. "My name is Lillian. A weekend visit to my roommate's family turned into six months of living in a hell that you and your plan gave birth to. On February 19th, I disarmed a fully primed neutron bomb in Gotham City. My name is Lillian O'Conner, and I will not apologize for what I have done."

The room was nearly silent. The only sound to be heard in the room was Lillian's frightened breathing. Nothing else in the room moved or made a sound. If it wasn't for the fact that she could still make out the outlines of a few of the men in the room, she would have sworn she was alone.

The silence had become suffocating. She was assured that it would choke her to death in the end. "You may go."

She was unsure as to whether or not she had heard it. It was not something that she would have ever imagined the tall brute saying. She noted her backpack sitting to the left of him by a door and headed for it. She never looked back, praying the entire time that he wouldn't change his mind or she wouldn't find herself shot in the back.

Author's note: Thank you for reading. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been several days since the incident had taken place. Since then, Lillian had made sure to complete her errands during the day and had started making sure that she was home before it got dark or to walk home with a colleague who lived in the next building.

She came out of the bedroom with laundry basket in hand, ready to go to the basement to fetch her load of clothes. She was hopeful that the creepy guy in 6B hadn't tried to throw his laundry in with hers again to save a few dollars or in the hopes that she would fold it and return it to him. She reached and turned on a lamp to keep from tripping over boxes in the living room that she had bought to start packing. The light came on, and there he sat.

He watched her stare at him like a deer caught in the headlights before she slowly stood up straight. He found the whole thing rather humorous. It was obvious she didn't know why he was here. He didn't quite know himself. He just knew that he had to see her again.

"I thought you were done terrorizing me."

"Am I terrorizing you, Ms. O'Connor?"

She set the laundry basket on the couch and headed towards the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink? Maybe some tea?"

"No." He sat in the chair in silence while she fussed with boiling water and making her own cup of tea. When it was done, she came to sit down on the couch across from him. He thought that she was terribly noisy. The silence continued between the two of them until she could stand it no longer.

"Why are you here if not to terrorize me? What do you want?"

Bane caught sight of the ring that doted on her finger. He had known about it, but the sight of it greatly displeased him. "You are engaged."

"Yes."

"To Officer Smith."

"He's a detective now. They promoted him and gave him an award for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve and protect the citizens of Gotham during their darkest hour."

His eyes darkened as her praise of Daniel reminded him of his failure. He stood and towered over her. "You ruined Gotham's cleansing. You will atone for this."

He left on that note. Although he never touched her, she felt it was as if though he had strangled her.

She dreamt of him that night. She was in one of Gotham's churches and wearing a wedding dress. She was walking around the sanctuary, admiring the decorations and fiddling with the pew bows. She looked up from the lace that she was fingering. It was then that she saw him standing at the back of the church, watching her. His hands were holding onto the straps of the bullet proof vest that he wore.

They stared at each other for a long time. She was frozen in her tracks, and he was as confident as ever. "I hear that congratulations are in order."

There was something in the mist of the metal rasp that spoke those words. Something that Lillian didn't trust. In the distance, she heard the church bell ring. She couldn't actually see it due to the mask, but she was sure that he was smiling. She instantly turned and ran back through the sanctuary. She continued her mad rush by opening doors and occasionally screaming out Daniel's name. She even started screaming for Charlie, but neither of them answered her nor could she find them. She reached the front of the church and still hadn't found either brother.

However, there, waiting in the lobby was Bane and several of his men. Bane grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the day light. She woke up, panting, and praying that he would leave her and Daniel alone.

Bane stared at the picture of the woman. He was irked and intrigued by her. He had a hard time believing that she had been the one to take down their carefully calculated plans. Oh, he knew that she had merely played a small role in disarming the bomb.

The police had taken back city hall with their march. Batman had inspired hope and given the police the last bit of bravado that they needed to storm the hall. However, she had been the one to render the bomb useless. He had promised her that she would atone for her mistake, and he would see that such atonement was carried through.

Lillian was having a hard time explaining to Daniel how important this opportunity was. She had called to merely tell him about it being offered to her. She planned on driving the four hour drive to Gotham this weekend to tell him in person that her mind had already been made up. She was accepting the internship.

Daniel, however, refused to be reasonable about it. The moment he heard that she had been offered an internship halfway across the world he told her she couldn't seriously be thinking about it. She tried to explain that this was an opportunity of a lifetime. She would never get another opportunity like this.

He still didn't understand. She had also been to four job interviews this week alone. She had gone to three interviews in Gotham last week and half a dozen before that. Each one had resulted in a rejection letter.

_Dear Ms. O'Connor:_

_We were delighted to have the pleasure of meeting you in person. You have a lovely personality and are quite brilliant. It is without doubt that you will make a valuable addition to any team. However, at this time, it is with deepest regret that we inform you we are unable to offer you a position. We look forward to your accomplishments and our future collaborations. _

_We wish you all the best. _

Daniel didn't understand it. Lillian was tired of being rejected. She was tired of making the effort to relocate to Gotham so he wouldn't have to leave his department. He wouldn't have to leave his brothers in blue. She had grown so tired of the rejection that she was starting to think that she had chosen the wrong career field and had started looking at obtaining a new doctorate at Gotham University. She could resume her biomedical engineering degree and get a medical doctorate. Gotham did have a great teaching hospital.

The phone call had come as a blessing. Someone wasn't rejecting her. They were hand selecting her to participate in their program. She hadn't even applied. They had seen her pre-doctoral papers, had gotten a recommendation, and were calling to invite her to take part in their internship. Daniel just couldn't understand that she needed this.

He argued that she didn't care about him or their future together. She argued that she needed to start her career. He argued she was pulling back and putting off planning their future. She argued that wasn't true. She wanted to argue that she had helped him to get his promotion.

She had put her life on the frontline, crawling into the bed of that truck and disarming that bomb. Yet, she had gone quietly into the night as a shadow. She had walked back to the apartment in the freezing cold, praying that everyone would be so distracted with the battle raging across town that they wouldn't be interested in attacking her.

When the dust had settled, the Smith brothers had taken the truck to city hall. She had allowed Daniel to talk her into staying out of the lime light so she wouldn't be a prime target should anyone decide to retaliate. It was one of the factors that resulted to both of them being promoted.

They were highly sought after while no one wanted her in Gotham. She didn't want to return to Gotham to begin with. The whole reason she was returning to Gotham was to be with him. She was returning to Gotham so they could be wed and start their lives together. In Gotham.

A/N: Thank you everyone for the support this story has gained. I am fixing to enter a busy time of year for work and school, but I will try to post several more chapters before the end of the year.

To my reviewer: I haven't quite decided on Dr. Crane yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Other than Daniel being upset with her for taking the internship, life for the past two months had been great. The team had been great and had really listened to all of her ideas. They had taught her so much.

Everything that one could possibly need had been provided within the building. Security was pretty heavy, though, and would not allow personal computers or cell phones. The security guard had debated about allowing her mp3 player in. Most of their information from the outside world came in the form of letters and television in the evenings.

It was the letter that came this afternoon that bothered her the most. She had to get out of here. She needed some fresh air and to be away from everything that reminded her of what she was. She was nearly to the door that separated the dormitory and Dr. Greenwich's lab from the rest of the labs in the building when someone stepped in her way.

She tried to step around the person, but the person matched her move for move. She didn't recognize him and wanted to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed the shadow standing a few feet away. She recognized the shadow instantly and retreated back into the lab. She set her mp3 player in its cradle and cranked up the speakers.

The music started out loud and angry, much to displeasure of those within the dormitory and able to hear the loud music. It was taken as a sign of childish disapproval, but no one made a move to do anything about the music. They continued on with their activities, and the music eventually become soft and mellow.

Lillian had turned off the music when the hour had grown late and those who worked in the lab had started to turn in. She grabbed a stack of papers and headed to the couch to read. There were still men who were milling in the shadows. She wasn't going to worry about them or him. It wasn't long before she fell asleep with papers resting on her chest and one in her hand.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL_Lillian rounded the corner and saw a group crowded around some steps of a building. She took a step back and tried to decide if it was safe to continue on her route or to find another way back to the apartment. Why hadn't she listened to Daniel and Charles about not going out alone? _

_She had decided that she wasn't going to live in fear anymore. If she had to live in this city that had been turned upside down, she would do it on her own terms. She wasn't going to be afraid any longer. _

_It was time to prove that to herself. She squared her shoulders back and prepared to start walking once more. She rounded the corner when she realized what they were doing. They were carving a man to pieces while he was still alive. The man's head came into view. She realized she knew who this man was. She had shared late night hopes and dreams with this man. It was her best friend's brother. She had to help him. She went to go towards him, and someone grabbed her from behind pulling her back into the shadows. _

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"DANIEL! DANIEL!" Marcus heard the screaming. They had all heard the screaming. He had come out of his section of the dormitory to make it stop.

"DANIEL!" He was surprised to find all of Bane's men milling about. No one doing a single thing to make any of the screaming stop. The majority of the lab was now up but too frightened to go near the couch once they spotted Bane in a chair not too far from it.

This evening his desire for sleep won out over his fear of Bane. He did make sure to give him a wide berth. "Lillian. Wake up."

There was no response from Lillian other than to scream out the man's name again. The screams were terrified and full of sorrow. They were progressively turning into half choked sobs. He placed his hand on her shoulder to shake her awake as he said, "Lillian."

Her hand grabbed his wrist, her feet pressed against his abdomen, and before he knew it, they were both on the floor. He was on his back, and she was on top of him. Her knee in his chest and her arm applying pressure across his neck. He choked out her name.

When she realized what she had done to Marcus, she moved herself off of him and kneeled beside him. Her breath came out ragged, "Marcus, I am sorry. I didn't mean it." 

_"Son of a bitch, Lillian." He rasped the words out while rubbing his neck. "What the fuck was that?"_

_"I am sorry." He stared at her for a minute, debating whether or not to continue pushing at the issue. She made the decision for him when she began to gather up the papers that were scattered all over the floor before heading into the women's section of the dormitory. _

_GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG_

_Marcus awoke to the dormitory smelling of chocolate, cinnamon, eggs, and bacon. He grabbed the shirt that was resting on the end of his bunk and threw it on over his head. He walked down the hall and into the kitchen to find Lillian cooking. _

_She was surrounded by plates of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She smiled at him. "Good morning. The two green plates on the left are chocolate chip pancakes. The two blue plates are cinnamon pancakes. There's some cream cheese frosting in the bowl behind them. The syrup is on the table. There's scrambled eggs in the bowl. I'd offer to make you fried eggs, but there's only one egg left. We're also out of sausage."_

_"Lilly, what is all of this?" Marcus thought it smelled like heaven, but he sensed that there was a deeper reason behind her cooking enough for an army._

_"Breakfast." She grabbed a chocolate chip pancake and tore off a piece before shoving it in her mouth._

_"There's only six of us, and Nadia and Clarice aren't here for the next few days." _

_"They have to eat at some point." Lillian had never seen any of the men with Bane eat in the few days that they had been here, but she was sure that they did eat. They wouldn't have so much muscle if they didn't. She wondered how often Bane bothered to eat with his face always covered with the mask. _

_"Does this have to do with last night?" Marcus questioned. _

_"No." Lillian was blunt and didn't offer any further explanation._

_"Where did you learn to kick Marcus's ass?" Nicolas asked between bites of pancakes._

_"She didn't kick my ass. She caught me by surprise is all."_

_"Nope. She kicked your ass. Where'd you learn?"_

_"Charles taught me." _

_"I thought your fiancé's name was Daniel." _

_"Charles is his brother." With that, she pushed off of the counter and headed to her portion of the dormitory. _

_Lillian reemerged seven minutes later in workout gear. She headed towards the door and found her path once again blocked. She glared at the man before her and crossed her arms over her chest. She would not be dissuaded. _

_Bane wanted to laugh at this slip of a girl trying to stare down one of his most trusted men. She was most determined. He waved his hand at the man and watched the man move before she slipped through the door. "Follow her."_

_Nicolas was too afraid to argue. He waited a minute before heading out the door after Lillian. It took him a few minutes to catch up to her at the leisurely pace she was jogging. "Nice day for a jog."_

_"Go away, Nicolas. I don't need nor do I want your company." _

_"Not here to keep you company. I am just here for a jog."_

_An hour later Lillian came back in with Nicolas who was having trouble breathing. Lillian headed for the shower directly off of the women's bunks. _

_"Having a little trouble?" Bane smirked from behind his mask while starring at a computer screen._

_"I think she was trying to punish me." Nicolas was doubled over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "I am pretty sure she was punishing me for listening to you."_

_LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL_

Lillian came out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, to find a box waiting on her bunk. She carefully lifted off the lid and peeled the tissue paper back. She was greeted with the site of black satin. She frowned.

She hurriedly threw on jeans and a t-shirt before marching into what most would call the living room portion of the dormitory. In reality, there was the lab which was directly off of the large room that was split into three rooms by furniture and an island to make the living room, dining room, and kitchen. There was a hall that lead to the bunk rooms. The women's section was on the right and held four bunks as well as a bathroom with two showers, sinks and toilet stalls. The men's section was on the left and held 36 bunks, 6 urinals, 4 toilet stalls, and a group shower. Lillian was sure with their small number that the bunks had originally been designed for a different purpose.

"Nicolas, what is that on my bunk?" Lillian tried to keep her tone neutral.

"It's called a dress, Lillian. Women generally tend to be pretty fond of them, but I don't recall ever seeing you in one." Nicolas sat on the couch, just now catching his breath.

"I don't want it. Take it back." Lillian's voice had found a good neutral place.

"No can do. I need a date for this evening." Nicolas stood, not quite sure how to proceed.

"Take Marcus."

Nicolas snorted. "Marcus wouldn't look half as good as you in that dress."

"I was hired for physics. Not to play dress up and make you look good."

Nicolas and Lillian stared at each other. Everyone else in the room continued working on their projects. "Two week pass home. Paid plane ticket both ways."

"For me to stand there and look pretty?"

"Yup." Nicolas smiled. "And play nice with others. No throwing them around like you did to Marcus."

"Let it go." Marcus growled from the kitchen.

"Dr. Levitus doesn't have a problem with me leaving for two week?"

"Nope."

"When do we leave?"

"Six." Nicolas smiled as he watched Lillian retreat back to her bunk.

A/N: Please review.


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